Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Review by Honey B

Director: Shawn LevyCast: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Rami Malek, Steve CooganPlot:Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night At the Museum ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.Verdict: The doors to the museum have opened once again in the latest installment of the popular Night At The Museum franchise.This third outing, subtitled Secret of the Tombs, is a bittersweet affair as it is the last in the series and also the final film for late comedian Robin Williams and also Mickey Rooney – in a brief and memorable cameo.Director Shawn Levy and his new team of writers, David Guion and Michael Handelman, have crafted a witty, entertaining and fun-filled ride which certainly surpasses the second film in the series which sank under its own weight.Based on the 1993 children’s book by Milan Trenc the Museum of Natural Histories exhibits have been coming to life for many good years and night guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is now in charge of the New York museum’s spectacular night program.But the night antics all start to go awry when Akmenrah’s (Rami Malek) life-giving golden tablet begins to erode causing all of the museum’s characters to act crazily and slowly revert back to wax and lifelessness.Akmenrah knows little of how the tablet brings the museum’s odd assortment of inhabitants to life and it’s decided they should travel to the British Museum to talk to Akmenrah’s parents.The trip to London introduces Larry, Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Sacajawea (Mizuo Peck), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), miniature figures cowboy Jed (Owen Wilson) and Roman army officer Octavius as well as the face-slapping Capuchin monkey Dexter to an array of new blood at the British Museum.The new characters include Dan Stevens, as a very funny and quest-driven Sir Lancelot, Rebel Wilson, as a bored and lovelorn night security guard, and Ben Kingsley as Akmenrah’s father.This film has all the fun, drama, wit and crazy chases as the original movie and there’s some great big budget CG effects – the dinosaurs brought back to life are so much fun. There was also a great Escher painting scene.It was wonderful to see Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke in superb cameos and Van Dyke proves that he can still move!Stiller also gets to show more of his physical comedy acting chops by playing Neanderthal Laaa who was made in his image. He’s got the best of both worlds – his serious, straight man role as Larry and the hapless comedy of Neanderthal man.Aussie actress Rebel Wilson also has plenty of fun in her role as the new nightwatch woman who has no idea what is happening. It would be interesting to see what a Night At The Museum film would be like in her capable hands.While there are plenty of crazy antics in this film it’s also very heartfelt as the beloved characters say goodbye for one last time and the audience says goodbye to Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney.It would have been nice to see this film finish on a more somber note than it actually did, but then is good to see that the museum party continues on.Night At The Museum: Secret of the Tomb opens on December 26(Films are rated out of five stars)